Mogadishu (AX) — A joint operation by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and international partners killed three Al-Shabaab commanders and seriously wounded a senior leader in Hiiraan region, the agency said.
The raid took place on Wednesday in Mahaas district, where NISA said senior Al-Shabaab figures had gathered inside a house targeted by security forces.
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NISA named the wounded commander as Mustafa Caato, identified by the agency as the leader of Al-Shabaab’s Hiiraan regional fronts. Caato suffered serious injuries and was later transferred from Mahaas to El Buur district for medical treatment.
NISA said Caato had long ranked among the security agencies’ highest-priority targets and had played a central role in planning and coordinating attacks. The agency also said he had previously overseen Al-Shabaab’s explosives and suicide bombers unit.
The three commanders reported killed were Abdi Haafid, a member of Al-Shabaab’s explosives unit; a commander known as Taliban, who served in the group’s Hiiraan rescue unit; and Omar Hussein, whom NISA described as the leader of one of Al-Shabaab’s fronts.
The agency said two additional senior figures, Mohamed Eeney and Salad Buur, sustained serious injuries in the operation.
NISA said the strike formed part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Al-Shabaab’s leadership and undermine the group’s operational networks.
The agency did not disclose further information about the international partners involved or the weapons used in the operation.
Somalia’s security forces, backed by international partners, have stepped up operations against Al-Shabaab across central and southern Somalia as the government works to reduce the group’s capacity to organize and launch attacks.
